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Archives of Suicide Research : Official... 2022Identifying correlates of suicidality is an important goal for suicide researchers because these correlates may predict suicidal behaviors. Psychological tasks that...
AIM
Identifying correlates of suicidality is an important goal for suicide researchers because these correlates may predict suicidal behaviors. Psychological tasks that assess sensitivity to the outcomes of actions (i.e., consequence-based learning) have been commonly used by researchers seeking to identify correlates of suicidality. This is likely due to the straightforward integration of the tasks within most theoretical frameworks for understanding suicidality. Contextual factors have been shown to have a substantial effect on responding in behavior-outcome tasks. However, the direct relevance of these factors as determinants of behavior in suicide research is not clear. Thus, the purpose of this review was to assess the role of context in tasks involving behavior-outcome relations in suicide research.
METHODS
Four databases were searched using terms from general learning theory. Articles that featured evaluation of tasks with hypothetical or real outcomes to differentiate suicidality were included.
RESULTS
Eighty-two studies met inclusion criteria. Across studies there were 27 different tasks. Most instances of tasks across studies involved rewards (76.9%), while others emphasized punishment (15.7%), social (5.6%), or virtual suicide (1.8%) outcomes. Differentiation of suicidality was detected by 43.4%, 64.7%, 83.3%, and 50% of tasks featuring reward, punishment, social contexts, and virtual suicide respectively. All but five studies were retrospective.
CONCLUSION
Tasks that more closely mimic contexts and outcomes related to suicide appear to produce more pronounced differentiation of people with suicidality from people without suicidality. The lack of prospective designs is an important limitation of the literature.HIGHLIGHTSTasks that involve punishment or social outcomes better discriminate suicidality.Reward-based tasks are overused in suicide research.The conditioning hypothesis of suicidality is closely aligned with the literature.Only 5 of 82 studies incorporated prospective measures.
Topics: Humans; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide; Retrospective Studies; Databases, Factual; Outcome Assessment, Health Care
PubMed: 35023805
DOI: 10.1080/13811118.2021.2022049 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2021This rapid systematic review describes violence and health outcomes among child domestic workers (CDWs) taken from 17 studies conducted in low- and middle-income... (Review)
Review
This rapid systematic review describes violence and health outcomes among child domestic workers (CDWs) taken from 17 studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries. Our analysis estimated the median reported rates of violence in CDWs aged 5-17-year-olds to be 56.2% (emotional; range: 13-92%), 18.9% (physical; range: 1.7-71.4%), and 2.2% (sexual; range: 0-62%). Both boys and girls reported emotional abuse and sexual violence with emotional abuse being the most common. In Ethiopia and India, violence was associated with severe physical injuries and sexual insecurity among a third to half of CDWs. CDWs in India and Togo reported lower levels of psycho-social well-being than controls. In India, physical punishment was correlated with poor psycho-social well-being of CDWs [OR: 3.6; 95% CI: 3.2-4; < 0.0001]. Across the studies, between 7% and 68% of CDWs reported work-related illness and injuries, and one third to half had received no medical treatment. On average, children worked between 9 and 15 h per day with no rest days. Findings highlight that many CDWs are exposed to abuse and other health hazards but that conditions vary substantially by context. Because of the often-hidden nature of child domestic work, future initiatives will need to be specifically designed to reach children in private households. Young workers will also benefit from strategies to change social norms around the value and vulnerability of children in domestic work and the long-term implications of harm during childhood.
Topics: Child; Child Abuse; Domestic Violence; Family; Family Characteristics; Female; Humans; Male; Sex Offenses; Violence
PubMed: 35010705
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010427 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Mar 2022The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) is a widely studied psychobiological model of personality. RST factors seem to influence eating behavior, but how these... (Review)
Review
The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) is a widely studied psychobiological model of personality. RST factors seem to influence eating behavior, but how these personality traits are associated with distinct features of eating behavior is still unclear. In the present systematic review, we analyzed the relationship between RST personality factors and eating behavior using a parsing approach in which BMI-related results, self-reported results, and behavioral results were distinguished. Our analysis revealed that reward and punishment sensitivity seem to correlate and influence distinct features of eating behavior. The association between BMI and RST factors was uncertain, but nonlinear associations between reward sensitivity and weight need further testing. Reward sensitivity was linked to most eating behavior phenotypes (e.g., emotional eating and restrained eating), but only punishment sensitivity was primarily correlated with eating pathology. Reward sensitivity was the main factor linked with reactivity to food stimuli on many behavioral measures. The neurobiological personality factors of RST offer parsimonious concepts to understand eating behavior outcomes and the differential relationships observed are useful to translational research.
Topics: Feeding Behavior; Humans; Personality; Punishment; Reinforcement, Psychology; Reward
PubMed: 34998836
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104525 -
The International Journal of Risk &... 2022Reducing interpersonal contact has been one of the least expensive and most widely used COVID-19 control strategies. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Reducing interpersonal contact has been one of the least expensive and most widely used COVID-19 control strategies.
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review has been conducted with the aim of identifying social distancing strategies and policies and their impact on the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
In order to compile this systematic review, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Magiran, SID, and Irandoc databases were searched from the COVID-19 outbreak until March 2021. Keywords included "social", "physical", "distance", "outbreak", "incidence", "prevalence", "spread", "new case", "death*", "mortality*", "morbidity*" , "covid-19", "coronavirus", "sars-cov-2" and "time series*". The articles were qualitatively evaluated by two researchers using the STROBE tool. Finally, the study data were divided into three conceptual categories by three researchers, who then agreed on one category. The practical suggestions were also categorized in the same way.
RESULTS
The policies and strategies adopted to implement social distancing were included in five categories of restrictions, prohibitions, closures, incentives, and punishments. Transportation and travel restrictions, crowded places and schools closure, use of telecommunications and virtual communications, and financial and psychological support to society members were the main policies in this area.
CONCLUSION
Rapid and complete vaccination of all people around the world is out of reach, therefore social distancing and the implementation of physical restraints, especially in crowded and densely populated environments, should be done extensively until COVID-19 is eradicated.
Topics: COVID-19; Humans; Pandemics; Physical Distancing; SARS-CoV-2; Time Factors
PubMed: 34719440
DOI: 10.3233/JRS-210037 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2021Deterrence by punishment aims to prevent a crime; however, it is not always successful. Restrictive deterrence explains the continuous criminal activities that occur...
Deterrence by punishment aims to prevent a crime; however, it is not always successful. Restrictive deterrence explains the continuous criminal activities that occur despite deterrence; offenders enact various strategies to avoid detection, which is more typical among drug offenders given that they have a high frequency of offending and exposure to punishment. This systematic review provides an in-depth understanding of restrictive deterrence of drug offenders. Two prominent themes, "restrictive deterrence strategy" and "deterrability and restrictive deterrence," depict drug offenders' restrictive deterrence and effectively fit within the certainty-severity framework of punishment. Future studies should investigate restrictive deterrence strategies in the after-arrest context, the facilitative effect of perception of risk on strategy development, and facilitators or inhibitors affecting the diffusion of restrictive deterrence strategies.
PubMed: 34512482
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.727142 -
Trauma, Violence & Abuse Apr 2023Domestic homicide (DH) is the most extreme form of domestic violence (DV). There has been a growing worldwide interest in DH offenses and the characteristics of... (Review)
Review
Domestic homicide (DH) is the most extreme form of domestic violence (DV). There has been a growing worldwide interest in DH offenses and the characteristics of perpetrators and victims, and it is evidenced in part by the increase in the number of primary research studies in this area. The findings of a large number of the available primary literature have already been summarized into several systematic reviews. The principal purposes of this study were to identify what types and aspects of DH have been reviewed systematically (research trends), to synthesize findings from recent systematic reviews of the theoretical and empirical literature on the different types of DH (main findings), and to consider what existing reviews can tell us about the implications for policy and practice as well as future primary research (implications). The current study utilized a systematic review approach to locate systematic reviews of studies on DH. The final sample included 25 systematic review articles published from 2010 to 2020, including 12 on intimate partner homicide, eight on child homicide, and five on familicide. The main research questions varied across systematic reviews, but they included risk factors, statistics on incidence and prevalence, theories, risk assessment tools, punishment and disposition, and prevention strategies. Building on the synthesis findings, the current study concludes with suggestions for future systematic review research and implications for practice and policy efforts.
Topics: Child; Humans; Homicide; Domestic Violence; Risk Factors; Risk Assessment; Punishment
PubMed: 34510978
DOI: 10.1177/15248380211043812 -
Trauma, Violence & Abuse Apr 2023Adverse childhood experiences negatively impact future violence, victimization, perpetration, health, and lifelong development. The aim of the present study was to... (Review)
Review
Adverse childhood experiences negatively impact future violence, victimization, perpetration, health, and lifelong development. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the scientific evidence of empirical studies on the association between maternal childhood adversity in a familial context, including maltreatment, household challenges, and later maternal negative parenting. A search was performed in the PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, SciELO, and LILACS databases, using the combination of the following keywords: (neglect OR abuse OR maltreatment OR harsh parenting OR punishment OR discipline OR negative parenting practices) AND (adverse childhood experiences OR early adversity OR cycle of violence OR cycle of maltreatment OR history of maltreatment) AND (mother OR maternal). The results of 29 studies showed predominantly significant direct associations between maternal childhood adversities and negative parenting with their children (83%). Parental stress was also significantly associated with a maternal history of childhood adversities. Focusing on the type of maltreatment practices, there were similar intergenerational transmission types: homotypic and heterotypic. Few studies have examined the protective factors that could buffer the negative impact of a maternal childhood history of adversities on later negative parenting.
Topics: Female; Child; Humans; Parenting; Child Abuse; Violence; Mothers; Parents
PubMed: 34342253
DOI: 10.1177/15248380211036076 -
BMJ Open Jul 2021To characterise the dynamics and consequences of bullying in academic medical settings, report factors that promote academic bullying and describe potential...
PURPOSE
To characterise the dynamics and consequences of bullying in academic medical settings, report factors that promote academic bullying and describe potential interventions.
DESIGN
Systematic review.
DATA SOURCES
We searched EMBASE and PsycINFO for articles published between 1 January 1999 and 7 February 2021.
STUDY SELECTION
We included studies conducted in academic medical settings in which victims were consultants or trainees. Studies had to describe bullying behaviours; the perpetrators or victims; barriers or facilitators; impact or interventions. Data were assessed independently by two reviewers.
RESULTS
We included 68 studies representing 82 349 respondents. Studies described academic bullying as the abuse of authority that impeded the education or career of the victim through punishing behaviours that included overwork, destabilisation and isolation in academic settings. Among 35 779 individuals who responded about bullying patterns in 28 studies, the most commonly described (38.2% respondents) was overwork. Among 24 894 individuals in 33 studies who reported the impact, the most common was psychological distress (39.1% respondents). Consultants were the most common bullies identified (53.6% of 15 868 respondents in 31 studies). Among demographic groups, men were identified as the most common perpetrators (67.2% of 4722 respondents in 5 studies) and women the most common victims (56.2% of 15 246 respondents in 27 studies). Only a minority of victims (28.9% of 9410 victims in 25 studies) reported the bullying, and most (57.5%) did not perceive a positive outcome. Facilitators of bullying included lack of enforcement of institutional policies (reported in 13 studies), hierarchical power structures (7 studies) and normalisation of bullying (10 studies). Studies testing the effectiveness of anti-bullying interventions had a high risk of bias.
CONCLUSIONS
Academic bullying commonly involved overwork, had a negative impact on well-being and was not typically reported. Perpetrators were most commonly consultants and men across career stages, and victims were commonly women. Methodologically robust trials of anti-bullying interventions are needed.
LIMITATIONS
Most studies (40 of 68) had at least a moderate risk of bias. All interventions were tested in uncontrolled before-after studies.
Topics: Bullying; Female; Humans; Male; Organizational Policy
PubMed: 34253657
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043256 -
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy Jan 2022The metacognitive model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) implicates metacognitive beliefs, meta-memory beliefs and metacognitive control strategies in... (Review)
Review
The metacognitive model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) implicates metacognitive beliefs, meta-memory beliefs and metacognitive control strategies in perpetuating and maintaining symptoms of PTSD. Despite this expanding area of research, the evidence for the metacognitive model of PTSD has not been reviewed. A systematic review according to the PRISMA statement was conducted. Searches across MEDLINE, PubMed and PsycNET, as well as reference lists of the included studies (2004 to March 2020), yielded 221 records. Two independent reviewers screened articles, which were included where the impact of the constructs of interest on PTSD symptoms was investigated within the framework of the metacognitive model for PTSD. Eighteen articles were included in the review. Eleven studies were determined to have good methodological robustness. Metacognitive therapy for PTSD demonstrated reductions in symptoms from pretreatment to post-treatment, which were maintained at follow-up. Predictors of greater PTSD symptom severity included metacognitive beliefs, meta-memory beliefs, and worry, punishment, thought suppression, experiential avoidance, and rumination. Overall, support was found for the validity of the metacognitive model of PTSD.
Topics: Anxiety; Humans; Metacognition; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
PubMed: 34155731
DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2633 -
Campbell Systematic Reviews Jun 2021In spite of the large number of anti-corruption reforms implemented in different countries, there has been little research that empirically and systematically assesses... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
In spite of the large number of anti-corruption reforms implemented in different countries, there has been little research that empirically and systematically assesses the impact of these efforts.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of this review is to identify what works in curbing corruption in the public sector, by meta-analyzing the findings of published and unpublished evaluations of different types of anti-corruption interventions in different countries. The focus of this review is administrative corruption, namely corrupt acts involving civil servants in their dealings with their superiors, during the implementation of public policies, or while interacting with the public for service delivery. Political corruption (in the adoption of laws, regulations, and policies), and private-to-private corruption (involving only private actors) are excluded from this review.
SEARCH METHODS
The literature search was conducted by querying three widely recognized electronic databases: RePEc, SSRN, and Web of Science. These databases are considered the most comprehensive in the socio-economic field of research. The main grey literature repositories were also queried. Both published and unpublished studies were searched on the basis of specific combinations of keywords. The terms used to define queries were based on the "types of corruption", "types of interventions/policies/reforms" and "study design" search strings. Specific conventions were used to "explode" or "truncate" keywords as appropriate. Screening of the references (i.e., snowballing) of the identified studies was also performed, and a reverse snowballing approach on Google Scholar was used. In order to ensure replicability, all searches were stored into Covidence, an online software developed by the Cochrane community for screening studies and extracting data for systematic reviews.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Any study that included experimental evaluations (randomized controlled trials) of interventions developed for use in the public sector (e.g., public administration, education, health, etc.) to curb administrative corruption has been included in this review without any geographical or temporal limitations. Only studies written in or translated into English have been considered.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors read the titles and abstracts of identified studies in order to determine their eligibility against the inclusion/exclusion criteria. When a title or abstract could not be included or rejected with certainty, the full text of the article was reviewed. In case of disagreement about whether or not a study should be included, the lead author (Giulia Mugellini), together with Martin Killias acted as arbitrator. The relevant information from identified studies was extracted independently by two review authors, following the guidelines of the Campbell Collaboration. The studies were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias checklist as a basis.The effect size selected for the analysis was the Fisher's z-score transformation of the partial correlation coefficient. For the meta-analysis, random effect(s) models were estimated. Meta-regression analysis models were then used to investigate the determinants behind the observed between- and within-study heterogeneity. Ten different covariates were included in the meta-regression models in order to control for the type of intervention, the type of corruption, the level of national income, the quality of the study and the type of participants involved in laboratory experiments.
RESULTS
The initial literature search led to the identification of 70 studies. Approximately one-third of the studies were excluded at the title/abstract stage because they either did not evaluate any anti-corruption intervention but simply assessed the relationship between corruption and other phenomena, or because the study design was not based on randomized controlled trials. Another 14 studies were excluded only after a full-text assessment. At this stage, the main reasons for exclusion were related to an unsuitable type of corruption (e.g., when the focus of the paper was political corruption, or private-to-private corruption instead of administrative corruption), the lack of regression output, or an unsuitable study design. At the end of the selection process, 29 studies resulted as eligible for inclusion.All the selected studies were written in English. The publication years ranged from 2007 to 2018. The majority of the selected studies (20) investigates the effect of anti-corruption interventions in high- and upper-middle income countries (Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Nine studies focused on low- and low-middle income countries (Burkina Faso, Burundi, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Uganda). All of them were randomized experiments. Twenty-five of these experiments were conducted in a laboratory, while four of them were field experiments.As to the type of outcome, the majority (18) of the selected studies addressed bribery (either active or passive), while 11 studies considered misappropriation of public resources (embezzlement). In terms of anti-corruption interventions, 19 studies tested the effect of deterrence interventions, while 10 studies focused on policies based on organizational and cultural change.Overall, the meta-analysis' findings indicate that the identified interventions decrease the level of corruption. Results are statistically significant (p < 0.01) and robust to different heterogeneity estimators-that is, (restricted) maximum likelihood and method of moment estimators. The observed high level of heterogeneity- is equal to 92.36%, of which 43.78% is due to between-study heterogeneity and 48.57% to within-study heterogeneity-albeit in line with other meta-analyses in economics, suggests the need for meta-regression analyses.To investigate the determinants behind the between- and within-study heterogeneity of the observed effect, both a random effect model and a multilevel model were adopted.The results of the multilevel model show that: 1)Control and deterrence interventions are more effective than organizational and cultural reforms in reducing corruption in the public sector.2)Combining different interventions reduces corruption more than single interventions.3)Interventions are more effective in preventing misappropriation of public resources (embezzlement) than passive or active bribery. Finally, the Funnel Asymmetry Test (FAT), conducted with both additive and multiplicative dispersion terms, shows no evidence of a strong publication bias in the literature.
AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS
The results of this systematic review, based on a combination of laboratory and field experiments, demonstrate that increasing the expected monetary costs (e.g., sanctions) of corruption or the probability of detection (e.g., audit risk) is more effective than organizational, cultural and educational interventions in curbing administrative corruption, at least in the short term. However, this result might be due to the fact that the majority of selected studies are based on lab-experiments, where the assessment of the intervention is almost concurrent to its development. Short-term evaluations might fail to identify the effect of organizational and cultural interventions. Indeed, these interventions are based on structural changes in the organization of the system and the ethical and cultural education of public officials and might, thus, entail long periods to display their results on the level of corruption. Nevertheless, a combination of different interventions proves to be more effective than single interventions. For example, policies guaranteeing impunity to officials or citizens who report corrupt practices (principal witness/leniency treatment) are more effective if associated with a high probability of audit than leniency alone. A low probability of detection can be compensated by the threat of high fines in reducing both the amount and the likelihood of bribe demands. To the contrary, a high probability of detection had no effect in the absence of severe sanction threats.The importance of the organizational and cultural environment in which the intervention is implemented clearly emerged in the literature. When possible, the characteristics of the settings where the interventions were developed were included in the meta-regression analysis (such as the level of income of the countries). When it was not possible to measure contextual factors and their interaction with the main intervention, a qualitative analysis was performed to reveal the complexities of these interactions.This additional analysis shows that the impact of the interventions was found to be affected by the likelihood of the continued interactions between bribe takers and givers, the amount and probability of fines, and the size of the bribe, among others. For example, reporting mechanisms and leniency policies increase their potential in combination with interventions that limit agent's exposure to one another - such as staff rotation. The success of audit risk on corruption is strongly dependent on the seriousness of the potential sanction and the probability that a sanction is applied. Some differences also emerge between high- and low-corruption countries regarding the effectiveness of anti-corruption interventions. For example, measures tending to increase social blame of corrupt practices work in low-corruption countries. Adding punishments in environments where actors' behavior is tightly monitored increases compliance, but more so in environments where corruption is the exception rather than the rule.In terms of implications for research, the fact that control and deterrence turns out to be more effective than organizational and cultural interventions in curbing administrative corruption confirms the importance of economic theories (and cost-benefit analysis). However, the meta-analysis also demonstrates the effectiveness of combining different types of interventions.This is true not only when combining policies reinforcing control and deterrence (monitoring frequency, detection probability and amount of fines), but also when policies based on organizational and cultural change are added (e.g., staff rotation and leniency). In particular, the role of moral levers in preventing corruption emerges, and especially the importance of strengthening professional identity and values in order to avoid conflicts between an individual's private interests and his/her public role. These results highlight the importance of going beyond economic models for explaining corruption, and considering the moral and cultural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.It also emerges the need to understand how different forms of corruption operate in practice at macro- (cross-country), meso- (country/nation-state) and micro- (individual) level. In particular, individual-level factors, such as the strive for power, low self-control, loss aversion and risk acceptance would need to be addressed.It would be interesting to distinguish, when more experimental studies will be available, between top-down (from supervisors to officials) and bottom-up (from citizens to officials) interventions.From a methodological point of view, it could be tested whether the results change according to the types of games used as a basis for the corruption experiments (e.g., behavioral game theory, trust game, etc.) and according to the setting in which the experiment was conducted (e.g., context-free versus in-context presentation of experimental tasks).Considering the effect of sensitization messages in reducing bribery demand, we would encourage researchers to develop other corruption experiments that explore the impact of interventions in fostering professional self-identity, as well as the impact of organizational family culture on corruption. Furthermore, this review highlights the need for a comprehensive classification of anti-corruption policies that distinguishes interventions by type of corruption, risk factors, type of policy tool and administrative sector.
PubMed: 37131927
DOI: 10.1002/cl2.1173